You can give yourself a knife in CS2 only on a local server or in a practice match with bots: enable the console, type sv_cheats 1 and mp_drop_knife_enable 1, drop your default knife with G, spawn the model you want with a command like give weapon_knife_karambit, and pick it up. The knife exists only on that server; it never reaches your inventory and disappears when you leave. Below are the step-by-step instructions, the commands for every knife model, and answers to common questions.
Knife skins are expensive, so these commands are a practical way to see a model and its animations in hand before buying, compare several knives, or hand one to teammates to try. They will not get you a real knife for free; for that there are cases, trade-up contracts and the market, all covered in our guide on how to get knives in CS2.
Cheat Commands to Give Yourself a Knife in CS2
How do you give yourself a knife in CS2? You use console cheat commands, which only work while sv_cheats 1 is on. This is a built-in mode for local servers, not third-party software, and it does nothing in matchmaking or Premier.
These commands let you give a knife not only to yourself but also to friends on your server: drop the spawned knife and another player can pick it up. You can play with it like a normal knife, which makes this a good way to judge a model before buying a skin for it.
Where Can You Give a Knife to Yourself and Your Friends?
Weapons can be spawned with cheat commands only on a local server or on a map in practice mode. That is enough to check the inspect animation, the attacks and how the knife looks in first person. To set up a server with bots for this, see our guide on how to set up bots in CS2.
How to Activate the Cheat Mode sv_cheats 1
To give a knife to yourself or a friend, you first need to activate the mode in which the cheats will be valid. As mentioned, knife commands in CS2 only work on a local server or in practice mode.
So before using the commands you need to create your own local server or you can join a server where sv_cheats is enabled. Then you need to open the developer console and enter the command: sv_cheats 1 or sv_cheats true. Choose one of the two. You can turn off this mode using the command sv_cheats 0.
How to Give a Knife Through the Console
The steps are:
Before giving out a knife, you need to open the developer console and activate the commands: sv_cheats 1 and mp_drop_knife_enable 1. Enter them one at a time.
If the instructions are completed correctly, you can drop your knife with the G key. By picking up this knife again, the desired model will be in its place.
In this way you can get any knife. The commands for every model are listed below.
We remind you: this method is only relevant for a local server or training mode.
How to Open the Developer Console in CS2
To use the previous recommendations, you need to open the developer console. It is off by default. To activate the developer console you need to go into the game and follow these steps:
Open the "Settings" tab;
Click on the "Game" tab;
Set "Enable Developer Console (~)" to "Yes".
After following these instructions, the developer console will open using the "~" sign. If it does not open, switch your keyboard layout to English. More details are in our guide on how to open the console in CS2.
How to Keep Your Commands After Restarting CS2
Commands typed into the console reset when you restart the game. In order not to reconfigure the console every time you enter the game again, you just need to use the autoexec.cfg file.
This file makes it possible to save scripts, binds and commands in place. When you enter the game, they will automatically load themselves. To create an autoexec.cfg file:
First, you need to find the folder with CS 2 configs on your computer. This can be done through the STEAM library.
Afterwards, right-click on the Counter-Strike 2 icon — select "Manage" — then go to the "View local files" section.
Enter the "game" directory — "csgo" — "cfg". Inside the "cfg" folder create a text document and name it autoexec.cfg. It is important to make sure that the file extension is .cfg and not .txt.
You now have a file into which you can add your most commonly used commands. In order for it to automatically load when you start CS 2, make a change by adding +exec autoexec.cfg to the game launch options:
In the Steam library, right-click on Counter-Strike 2 and select "Properties".
Go to the "General" tab, scroll down to "Launch Options" and enter +exec autoexec.cfg.
Keep in mind that sv_cheats still has to be enabled on every new server. More useful commands are collected in our list of CS2 console commands.
How to Give Yourself a Butterfly Knife or a Kukri Knife in CS2
To spawn a knife in CS2, you need the command for that specific model. It is easy to do through the developer console. Why bother?
The fact is that not all players can afford certain skins. The Butterfly Knife, for example, is one of the most expensive models: its unusual animation keeps demand high, and even the popular Fade costs over $2,000. The Kukri Knife, once only a rumor, was released in February 2024 with the Kilowatt Case and is now on the market; the Kukri Knife | Fade costs about $160. The commands let you compare such models in hand before you pick a skin. For pairing ideas, see our best Kukri Knife combos.
So, what do you need to do to get the desired knife model? To do this, you need to enter the command in the console: ent_fire weapon_knife addoutput "classname weapon_knifegg". Here "classname weapon_knifegg" is the name of the model you want. So to get a Butterfly Knife or a Kukri Knife in CS2, you simply enter the right command into the developer console.
How to Give Yourself Other Knives in CS2
Each command has a fixed part, give, and a variable knife "name." The order is the same: drop your default knife, enter the command, then pick the new knife up from the ground.
Commands for all knives in CS2:
Standard Counter-Terrorist Knife — give weapon_knife_ct;
Standard Terrorist Knife — give weapon_knife_t;
Bayonet — give weapon_bayonet;
Flip Knife — give weapon_knife_flip;
Gut Knife — give weapon_knife_gut;
Karambit — give weapon_knife_karambit;
M9 Bayonet — give weapon_knife_m9_bayonet;
Huntsman Knife — give weapon_knife_tactical;
Butterfly Knife — give weapon_knife_butterfly;
Falchion Knife — give weapon_knife_falchion;
Golden Knife — give weapon_knifegg;
Bowie Knife — give weapon_knife_survival_bowie;
Shadow Daggers — give weapon_knife_push;
Ursus Knife — give weapon_knife_ursus;
Stiletto Knife — give weapon_knife_stiletto;
Navaja Knife — give weapon_knife_gypsy_jackknife;
Talon Knife — give weapon_knife_widowmaker;
Classic Knife (CS 1.6) — give weapon_knife_css;
Skeleton Knife — give weapon_knife_skeleton;
Nomad Knife — give weapon_knife_outdoor;
Survival Knife — give weapon_knife_canis;
Paracord Knife — give weapon_knife_cord;
Kukri Knife — give weapon_knife_kukri.
To pick up a weapon, do not forget to enter: ent_fire weapon_knife addoutput "classname weapon_knifegg". With this command, every player can pick up the knife they need.
Conclusion
Commands with sv_cheats 1 are a free and safe way to hold any knife model in CS2, from the Bayonet to the Kukri. They only work on a local server or in practice mode, and the spawned knife disappears once you leave the server.
That is useful when you are deciding which knife to buy: models differ a lot in inspect animation, grip and how much of the screen they take up. Prices and every model are collected in our overview of all CS2 knives, and the skin you choose can be bought on the LIS-SKINS market.
FAQ
1. Can I use cheat commands on official servers?
No. On official servers sv_cheats is off, so the commands simply will not work. Trying to get around that with third-party software is prohibited and leads to a ban.
2. How to get the standard knife back after using the commands?
To get everything back, after using the console commands, you should reset the current knife and just pick it back up. When you pick up the knife, you will see the standard model that you had before using the special command.
3. How to give yourself a Butterfly Knife?
First enable cheat mode with sv_cheats 1, then free up your knife slot with mp_drop_knife_enable 1 and drop the knife. Then enter give weapon_knife_butterfly or, in some game builds, subclass_change 515 (515 is the Butterfly Knife model number).
4. Why use knife commands?
In fact, with such commands, many opportunities open up for the player. For example, you can choose the ideal bladed weapon for yourself and subsequently purposefully purchase it. Well, or you can just spend time on your own or with friends going through different models and testing them.
5. Can I spawn the rarest knife with a command?
Yes, the commands spawn any knife model, including the most expensive ones. But you get the model without a specific skin: rare finishes like Doppler cannot be spawned this way.
6. Will I still have the expensive knife that I gave myself with the help of the command?
Unfortunately, this is not possible. The weapon model will immediately disappear and return to its original state after you drop the knife. The command helps you become familiar with the model, but you cannot get it forever using a command.
7. Is it possible to test other types of weapons or just knives?
In CS2 there are commands to swap your weapon for any other. For example, give weapon_ak47 or give weapon_awp spawn rifles, which you can then drop for a friend. All of these commands only work while sv_cheats 1 is enabled.
